During my childhood years on the family’s sheep ranch, we’d often times camp for weeks, or even entire summers at a time in the isolated deserts and mountains of Idaho. Due to the distance we needed to cover every day over roadless terrain, the horse was the only logical choice for transportation. They could carry a lot of camping gear too but these were “work” horses and there was no way dad would relinquish their duties for recreation. Being stubbornly independent, that was fine by me and I began experimenting with backpacking. At the age of eleven, I did my first human-powered overnighter, alone. I was high as a kite with this newfound self-reliance but with the pack dwarfing my small frame, I barely made it two miles from where my mother had dropped me off. The prepubertal ignorance in me packed the type of gear you’d expect to see on top of a rented SUV in Yellowstone. It was a comedy of packing errors but a great experience… and one that lead to my current line of thinking on lightweight travel: comfort and enjoyment come more from the ability to move freely than it does from habitual conveniences.

Set conventional thinking aside. A boat loaded with all the creature comforts does not have to be heavy.

Having a compact and light load means many things. It allows you to take the kayak you're acustomed to rather than a special large "self-support kayak"; makes for easier, faster and safer carrying on portages and or hike-ins; and regardless of boat, it will be faster, more responsive and just generally easier to paddle. Lightness is just as good psychologically as well. It frees the mind fostering confidence and attentiveness.

How light? The extent you take this depends on your skills and the skills required for the trip. However, as long as you aren't trading comfort for weight savings, the lighter your boat is, the easier everything will be. And the more you are pushing your paddling and physical limits, the more you should be thinking about this. There are few if any sports where lighter doesn’t mean more performance. Kayaking is no different, so other than giving your buddies an excuse to razz you, you have absolutely nothing to lose by saving every last bit you can and going "ultralight". And if you play your cards right, you’ll have a whole lot to gain...including the satisfaction of seeing the banter quickly turn in to curious inspections then serious questions.

Ok, but doesn't going ultralight mean I'll be cold, hungry and just plain miserable? No, not at all. With good gear that's lightweight and versatile, some creativity and a good bit of pre-trip food planning, you can be as comfortable as someone carrying twice the weight (see gear list for examples). So, the question becomes this: why carry extra weight if you don't have to?

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